Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers. This writing is for pure entertainment only.

Summary: Sequel to "Law Change Lives". Hermione and Ron are settling into their new roles as parents, but nothing is ever as easy as it seems.

CHAPTER 14

Umbridge shot another spell toward the Burrow, and Hermione gathered Rose in her arms, her own wand outstretched over the couch she and Mrs. Weasley were hiding behind.

"Keep Rosie safe…I'll handle that bitch!" Mrs. Weasley roared and pulled her wand, shooting a few more spells toward Umbridge.

Hermione did as her mother-in-law requested and held her now crying daughter close to her chest, listening to Mrs. Weasley scream and blast spells at Umbridge.

Then the blasting stopped, but Mrs. Weasley's cursing did not.

"Bloody hell! That woman!" Mrs. Weasley screamed.

Hermione lifted her head from behind the couch to see Mrs. Weasley marching back toward the Burrow with Harry and Ron following closely behind her.

"Took out my whole wall! Hermione is inside, Ron…" Mrs. Weasley motioned to the missing wall and then spoke to Ron all in the same breath.

Hermione stood to see Ron sprinting toward her.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Ron asked, reaching her and kissing her quickly before pulling Rose out of her arms and kissing her as well.

"Fine…shaken up…but fine," Hermione admitted.

"Good. We got here as soon as we could, but Umbridge saw us and disapparated," Ron explained why the fight between Mrs. Weasley and Umbridge was so short lived.

"But we are going to find her now," Harry spoke up.

That was when Hermione noticed there were two other Auror's with Harry.

"You go, I am staying here," Ron told Harry.

Harry nodded, understanding, and then lead the two other Auror's off.

"How did she find us?" Hermione asked, gathering Rose back from Ron since her daughter was reaching for her. Once she got Rose in her arms, the child instantly snuggled up to her mother.

"Bloody hell if I know," Ron seemed angry and ran a hand through his hair. "She shouldn't have been able to."

"But she did," Hermione rocked Rose on her hip, her own hands shaking slightly from the attack.

"I know…" Ron shook his head.

"Ron, maybe you should get Hermione and Rose home," Mrs. Weasley suggested, clearly able to see the struggle her son was having.

"Yeah…" Ron wrapped his arm around Hermione and Rose. "Yeah, lets go home."

Hermione nodded and allowed Ron to flow her and Rose back to Grimmauld Place, though she fought the nausea that accompanied the ride. When they did manage to get back to Grimmauld Place, it took every ounce Hermione had to make it to the hall bathroom and not throw up on Ron's shoe.

It had taken nearly an hour but Hermione had finally calmed Rose down enough to get her daughter to sleep. It seemed that all the commotion at the Burrow had really frightened the child and Hermione had spent most of the hour walking around Rose's room, swaying her one-year-old daughter to sleep.

When Rose had finally fallen asleep, Hermione gently lay her down in her crib and moved out of the room, feeling completely drained. She had no idea how she would do that with two babies in a few short months.

Hermione made her way down into the kitchen where she found Ron, standing by the window and looking down at the street.

"What are you doing?" Hermione asked.

Ron twitched his eyes away from the window for a second. "Looking for Harry…or any Aurors at that matter…"

"I am sure they are busy looking for her," Hermione said.

Ron nodded and bit the inside of his mouth before speaking again. "I think you and Rose should pack up…go to your parents."

"What?" Hermione was confused by Ron's words.

"Its off the map…I can send Aurors to check on you. I just think you will be safer away from here. Umbridge knows roughly where Grimmauld Place is even if she can't see it," Ron said.

"My parents live in the city. I will be just as exposed—" Hermione started.

"Maybe go to their summer home, on the coast," Ron suggested.

Hermione was surprised and realized Ron had seriously thought this over already.

"Ron…I…what if they find us there. Then my parents—" Hermione started.

"Your parents aren't safe anyway, Hermione. I would rather you all be together somewhere she won't look at first," Ron cut her off.

Hermione was caught off guard by the urge in Ron's voice. She thought about what he was asking, and realized he was only trying to keep her safe.

"Please, Hermione…take Rose and just keep her safe," Ron begged now.

Hermione thought about Rose, thought about the baby inside of her that Ron did not even know about, and knew Ron was asking something very important and very easy of her. She needed to keep her family safe.

"Okay…okay, I will take Rose," Hermione nodded.

Ron smiled and gently kissed Hermione on the forehead in thanks.

Hermione thought about telling Ron about the new baby now, just to get it off of her chest; just so she didn't have to hold onto that knowledge by herself right now.

Unfortunately, Hermione didn't even have time to think of how to broach the subject when the sound of someone flowing into the living room caught their attention.

"Ron! Hermione!" Harry's voice rang through Grimmauld Place.

"Harry! SHH!" Hermione whispered as Harry appeared in the kitchen. "Rose is sleeping!"

"Sorry…" Harry whispered quickly, trying to catch his breath as if he had been running for days.

"Did you find her?" Ron asked quickly about Umbridge.

Harry shook his head. "No…we didn't, but we have a better idea of where she may be. We managed to follow her rather far."

Ron made a face in frustration and tried his best to hide his anger. Hermione gently reached out to touch him and it did seem to calm him, though she could tell he was still aggravated and worried about the entire situation, and she knew she couldn't tell him about the baby now.

The next morning, Hermione woke up to the same wave of nausea that she did every previous morning. She glanced over to see Ron was still in bed and she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath and trying to remain still.

She did not want to wake Ron up by getting sick because that would only make him ask questions and that was something she was not ready for yet.

Hermione tried to fall back asleep, but the urge to be sick was overwhelming. Her only saving grace was that Rose's cries suddenly filled the house.

Ron shot up in bed, looking disheveled until he realized it was just Rose waking up.

"Can you get her?" Hermione asked, her eyes still closed. She hoped Ron would think she was just tired.

"Sure," Ron agreed, gently kissing Hermione on the forehead before sliding out of bed and out of their room.

The second Hermione was alone in the room, she jumped out of bed and sprinted to the bathroom, just in time to dispose of whatever she had eaten for dinner the night before into the toilet.

When she was finished, Hermione sighed, sliding down on the wall, her head in her hands. She had to idea how she would keep this secret from Ron much longer. It was clearly obvious what was going on. She was certain the only reason Ron had not caught on yet was simply because he was too worried about everything else going on.

After a long moment, Hermione got herself to her feet and brushed her teeth. She was just finishing when she heard Rose's giggles.

Hermione moved out of the bathroom and into her bedroom where she found Ron climbing back into bed with a giggling Rose, who was trying her best to grab Ron's nose.

"Are you okay? You look flushed," Ron noticed when Hermione stepped out of the bathroom.

Hermione nodded quickly, almost too quickly, and felt herself lightheaded again. She deiced to sit on the bed with Rose and Ron, hoping she would feel better.

"Are you ready for today?" Ron asked after a moment of silence.

Hermione glanced up at Ron, trying to control the waves of nausea that continued to hit her while trying to focus on Ron's words. "Hm?"

"You and Rose are going to your parents…remember?" Ron cocked an eyebrow at Hermione.

Hermione nodded, remembering she and Ron had discussed it after the attack from Umbridge. She had Rose would be going to her parents vacation house on the coast until Umbridge was caught.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Ron asked again.

"Fine," Hermione gave a tight lipped smile.

"Ma!" Rose pointed at Hermione and then wiggled out of Ron's grasp and crawled toward Hermione, grabbing at one of Hermione's curls.

Hermione smile down at her daughter and then moved, standing with Rose on her hip. She felt much better now, the wave of morning sickness ending as quickly as it started.

"I'll drive you up, and then head back down here to work," Ron offered.

"Ron, it's a six hour drive. You don't have to do that," Hermione reminded him.

Ron shrugged. "I want to spend some time with my two girls before I don't get to see you for a bit."

"When will you be coming back up?" Hermione asked.

"As much as I can but my focus is really on Umbridge. The faster we can get her, the faster the three of us stay here safe together," Ron said.

Four. Hermione thought. Soon there would be four of them in the house, though Ron had no way of knowing that.

"Let me shower. You get Rose ready and we will leave within an hour or so," Ron said before and moved quickly into the bathroom, leaving Hermione and her thoughts about the new baby she was still keeping a secret from Ron.

Hermione sat in the front of the car her parents had given her and Ron as Ron drove them along the coast to her parent's ocean cottage. Rose was asleep in the back seat, her head leaning on the strap of her car seat.

The ride was rather quiet; Hermione was worried about telling Ron about the baby that was coming and his reaction more then anything, but she was also worried about Umbridge and being away from Ron for so long.

Ron, on the other hand, was worried about finding Umbridge and keeping Hermione and Rose safe. He drummed his fingers across the top of the steering wheel.

"It's only for a few days," Ron said, finally breaking the silence. He assumed Hermione was just as worried about Umbridge as he was, rather then her true worries. He had no idea she was pregnant yet.

"Huh?" Hermione pulled her attention from Rose, who she was watching in the rearview mirror.

"Hopefully we will catch Umbridge and I will be back up here in a few days to bring you and Rose back," Ron repeated himself.

"Right…that would be nice, wouldn't it?" Hermione asked, though her thoughts were somewhere else.

Silence filled the car for a long moment, and then Hermione decided to speak again, about her actual thoughts. She wasn't sure how to broach the subject, but she figured, being stuck in a car for a few hours would be one way to start.

"Rose is getting so big…" Hermione started.

Ron gave a small laugh and a smile. "Yeah, she is…more beautiful everyday, like her mum…"

Ron reached out and squeezed Hermione hand, the one that had her wedding band on it.

Hermione smiled, blushing a little at Ron, though her stomach was in knots over where she wanted to lead the conversation.

"Do you ever think about having another one?" Hermione said quickly, avoiding eye contact with Ron.

Ron cocked an eyebrow as he kept his eyes on the road. "Another baby?"

Hermione nodded, trying to seem casual.

Ron shook his head and set his jaw. "Is this really the time for this conversation?"

Hermione sighed. "I just thought—"

"Hermione, seriously, with everything else going on, why are you putting that out there right now? You said it yourself, Rose is a handful even without everything else going on. Can't we just talk about it when Rose is a bit older and we have things under control?" Ron barked.

Hermione simply nodded again, feeling completely defeated. She relaxed back into the seat, seeing how the anger lines at her question did not fade for Ron's features for some time. Her eyes carefully then moved to her stomach, that was already holding a new life in it; a life Ron did not even want to hear was an option. Hermione had no idea what she was going to do.

Hermione and Ron arrived at her parent's house a short while later and were met by Mr. and Mrs. Granger in the driveway. Hermione carried a sleeping Rose into the house with her mother while Mr. Granger helped Ron unload the car.

"She looks beautiful as always," Mrs. Granger commented as Hermione set Rose, still in her carseat, down on the kitchen table.

"When she sleeps…she is another story awake," Hermione commented, still not in a great mood from her conversation in the car with Ron. The tension that had filled the silent ride the rest of the way after that conversation had left Hermione irritable.

"Are you alright, Hermione?" Mrs. Granger asked her daughter.

Hermione sighed, putting a hand to her forehead and closing her eyes. "Just…stressed."

"Understandable," Mrs. Granger said. "But is something else bothering you, besides the obvious?"

Hermione contemplated telling her mother what was really going on, not just the part about Umbridge and she needing to be kept safe, but also about the baby that was on its way, but any thought of that quickly fled as Ron and Mr. Granger moved into the kitchen.

"I think that is all of it," Ron said, putting Rose's diaper bag on the kitchen counter.

"Will you be leaving now, Ron, or can you stay for dinner?" Mrs. Granger asked.

Ron shook his head, checking his watch. "No…I need to be back at headquarters in a few hours."

"Oh," Mrs. Granger gave quick nod for her husband to follow her out and let Ron and Hermione had a moment alone.

Ron waited for Hermione's parents to leave the kitchen before moving toward Hermione, taking both of her hands in his. "Sorry about the car ride up…I could tell you were upset."

"Well…there's a lot going on. That's all," Hermione said, knowing it was completely true. On top of Umbridge being out there, she had a baby on the way that Ron did not know about nor seem to want.

"I will be back soon and everything will be better. Once we catch Umbridge, I promise," Ron said genuinely.

Hermione gave him a small smile knowing that even if he did get Umbridge her pregnancy was clearly not something he wanted to deal with. The conversation in the car did not even remotely go well and Ron only though she was hinted at another baby; he had no idea she had one on the way.

"I love you," Ron said, leaning in and kissing Hermione's forehead.

"I love you too—" Hermione hardly managed out before Ron's lips were warm against her own.

The kiss was long and sweet and yet had a sense of sadness around it. It would be the last kiss they would have for an indefinite amount of time. If they caught Umbridge in two days, Ron would be back, but if it took weeks, Hermione was not sure when she would see her husband again. Part of her was worried, if it took Ron too long to catch Umbridge, she wouldn't be able to tell him about the pregnancy, because she would already be showing.

When they both needed air, they kiss broke apart, and Ron gave Hermione one last smile before moving to kiss a sleeping Rose on the head. He then turned back to Hermione.

"Tell Rosie I love her when she wakes up," Ron said.

Hermione nodded. "I will."

"Alright…" Ron kissed Hermione's cheek one last time. "See you soon."

"Be careful," Hermione said.

Ron gave a sly smile. "I always am."

Hermione couldn't help but smile back as she watched Ron move out the front door and to their car. She stood by the front door until Ron was out of sight and then her eyes dropped to her flat stomach and she felt the tears form in her eyes knowing Ron didn't seem to want the baby that was already growing inside of her.